Electrically operated means for marking the edges of a strip in an open field or country



p 9 0 c. L. ROSSELOT 3, EIJECTRICALLY OPERATED MEANS FOR MARKING THE EDGES v OF A STRIP IN AN OPEN FIELD OR COUNTRY Filed May 16. 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR (L /From) L. ROSSELOT' Actor/ e] 3,531,024 ELECTRICALLY OPERATED MEANS FOR MARKING THE EDGES Sept. 29, 1970 c. L. ROSSELOT OF A STRIP IN AN OPEN FIELD 0R COUNTRY Filed May 16, 1968 2 Sheeiis- Sheet T W 0 L w w W QQVB ID H TN .3 R mm A, A I N N O. b

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United States Patent ELECTRICALLY OPERATED MEANS FOR MARK- ING THE EDGES OF A STRIP IN AN OPEN FIELD 0R COUNTRY Clifford L. Rosselot, P.O. Box 183, Owensville, Ohio 45160 Filed May 16, 1968, Ser. No. 729,722 Int. Cl. A01c /00 US. Cl. 222-178 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A land strip conditioner or the like including power driven means for actuating the same and for operating a marking device at one or both sides of the conditioned strip in the direction of the length of the strip. Said marking device including electrically operated means operable from the battery of the vehicle for intermittently effecting the operation of the marking mechanism either at definite time intervals or at definite spaced intervals.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to improvements in marking means and particularly to electrically operated means for marking the edges of a strip in an open field or country.

It is well known, that, in fields and farming countries, the earth is treated with fertilizingmaterials, insecticides, and the like, as well as scatter sowing of certain seeds and that the mechanism used in said fields are so designed and arranged that the treatment is for a particular and given width in being so fertilized, seeded, or the like, by a self-contained vehicle, such as a self-propelled truck. It is also well known that the said field should not be overly treated, which could happen unless the previously treated strip were marked as to the longitudinal edge of treatment. Also, to have an untreated strip adjacent to or between treated strips would likewise be uneconomical since the said untreated strip would either not produce properly or would be infested with insects and the like that could readily extend into the previously treated strip and be above the insecticide treatment.

The principal object of the present invention is, therefore, broadly, to provide an electrical controlled or operated means for adequately marking either or both side edges of the strip under treatment so that the adjacent treatment would be applied to the next strip without either overlapping on the first treated strip or providing an untreated strip adjacent the treated strip and therefore between treated strips.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a marking means which includes a self-propelled vehicle and will apply to the surface of the earth, at substantially uniformily spaced intervals, a recognizable mark to guide the self-propelled vehicle operator and to provide this mark by materials that will in no wise interfere with the treatment of the earth at the point of the mark or in any wise interfere with the productivity of the earth at the said mark, but which mark providing means is preferable under the control of self-propelled vehicle operator and which marking means is caused to operate at the will of said operator without leaving the said vehicle.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of means for accomplishing the foregoing objects which is relatively inexpensive to effect the results desired and may be readily attached to existing vehicles.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention should be readily apparent by reference to the following specification considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof and it is to be understood that any modifications may be made in the exact structural details there shown and described, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from or exceeding the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a self-propelled vehicle with which the mechanism of the present invention is employed.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational View, opposite to that of FIG. 1, of the vehicle of FIG. 1 with which the invention of the present invention is employed.

FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view of the self-propelled vehicle with which is employed the mechanism of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view through a tank forming a detail of the present invention, as seen from line 44 on FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view of the tank as seen from line 55 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a semi-diagrammatical view of a portion of the mechanism as employed in marking the earth.

FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic view of the mechanism normally included in the drive or operation of the vehicle seed or fertilizing mechanism as employed.

FIG. 8 is a wiring diagram of the electrical system that may be employed in the operation of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a wiring diagram of the second electrical system that may be employed in the operation of the present invention.

Throughout the several views of the drawings similar reference characters are employed to denote the same or similar parts.

This invention is an improvement on or an addition to the present inventors prior structure, as disclosed in US. patent application, Ser. No. 565,183, filed July 14, 1966 for Marking Means in an Open Field or Country, now Pat. No. 3,391,828. While, as just stated, the present invention represents an improvement on applicants prior patent application, it may be more proper to say that the present invention is employable with or supplementary to the mechanism disclosed in said patent application.

Accordingly the present invention contemplates the utilization of a truck or tractor of the self-contained or self-operable type of truck 10 which includes the usual gasoline or diesel power, engine beneath the engine hood 11 for driving either the front wheels 12, or the back wheels 13, or both sets of wheels, and which driving mechanism is not illustrated in the drawings as it is believed to be well understood. Disposed beneath the truck hood 11 is a battery, or other electrical power source 14, which is needed, as is well known, to operate the self-contained motor, supra. The battery has extending from one side or pole thereof a wire 15 which has its other end connected to a portion of the vehicle metal chassis 16. This wire 15 is generally referred to as the ground wire and the metal chassis is the ground even though it is insulated from the earth by the rubber tires on the truck wheels.

Associated with the truck 10 is the cab 17 housing the truck operator for, during the movement of the truck, feeding fuel from a tank 18, which may be mounted adjacent the truck cab, to said engine and for steering the same. This cab 17 also houses the control mechanism fpr the strip side marking device as will presently be made c ear.

The engine beneath the hood 11 has a power take-0c shaft 19 which, as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, is connected through a coupling 20 to a shaft 21 which terminates in operating an air compressor 22, as particularly shown in FIG. 2. It should be noted that the air compressor 22 is well known and includes a piston operating a a cylinder for pushing air ahead of it into a compressed air tank, all as will presently be made clear.

The self-propelled vehicle includes, as is well known, a chassis or supporting frame 16 to which the wheels 12 and 13 which may be either single or double, are connected through suitable axles, all as is well known and not shown in the drawings. Mounted on the chassis 16 is the truck body, indicated in general by the reference character 23, which as shown in FIG. 3, is, or has, its lower portion 24 trough-like in elevation and hollow to contain fertilizer. insecticide, or any ground or earth sowing or conditioning material. As further seen in FIG. 3, the said truck body 23 has relatively short sides 25 and 26 extending vertically of the truck body inclined bottom walls 27 and 28. The said walls 27 and 28 terminate in a discharge mechanism 29 which, in turn, is connected through distributor box 30 with distributor tubes 31 and 32. As shown in FIG. 7 the discharge 29 of the truck body 23 is provided with a rotatable feed screw 33 which controls and continuously pushes the material in the truck body to the discharge 29 and eventually to the tubes 31 and 32.

The foregoing relatively simple description of the distributing truck of the present invention is set out in full in applicants prior U.S. Pats. 2,369,755 and 2,511,514 to which further reference may be had if desired and, as will be noted from said patents, said distributing tubes 31 and 32 are temporarily detachable from the truck so that it may pass through an ordinary or average gate in the fence that normally surrounds farm fields. The reason for the demountable need tubes 28 and 29 is that the said tubes have a combined length that is, a distance from the outer end of tube 28 to the outer end of tube 29, of twenty to forty (40) feet, the average distance being in the neighborhood of thirty (30) feet.

Treatment of the earth or field beneath the tubes 31 and 32 is effected through a substantially continuous flow from a multiplicity of openings or jets, from each of which extends a jet stream 34 to the earth therebeneath.

The operation of the feed screw 33 is effected through a chain of motion transmission members or means, one form of which could include, as follows:

Assuming the gear wheels 13 of the truck to be the driven wheels and which wheels may include a pair of wheels at each end of the drive shaft in the axle housing 35. For purposes of description and referring particularly to FIG. 3, the rear wheel 13A has adjacent thereto a bracket 36 which includes depending arms 37 and 38. The bracket 36 is secured to the truck chassis 16 to depend, as noted above, adjacent the driving surface of the drive wheel 13A. Carried by the braket arms 37 and 38 is a shaft or axle 39 on which is mounted, between the said bracket arms 37 and 38, a wheel 40, which conveniently takes the form of a rubber wheel similar to, but considerably smaller in diameter than, the drive wheel 13A. As seen in FIG. 1 the said driven wheel 40 is positioned to have firm peripheral contact with the periphery of the driving wheel adjacent thereto, and wherefore the driven wheel 40 has a peripheral travel equal to the peripheral travel of its driving wheel 13A even though the said driven wheel 40 may rotate at a higher rate of speed.

The shaft or axle 39 extends beyond, laterally, the bracket arm 37 of the bracket 36 to have secured to its projecting end a belt pulley 41, and which belt pulley 41 is in alignment with a second belt pulley 42 on the outer end of a shaft 43. The pulleys 41 and 42 are connected with one another by a belt 44, and which belt and pulleys are of the well-known V-construction.

The shaft 43 with the pulley 42 on one end thereof is conveniently journaled for rotation in the bracket arms 37 and 38 and said shaft 43 has at its other, inner, end a pulley 45 similar to the pulley 42. The pulley 45 is in line with a pulley 46 on a shaft 47 carried by and outwardly extending from a miter or bevel gear housing 48.

The pulleys and 46, similar to the pulleys 41 and 42 are of the well known V-type and are connected to one another by a V-belt 49.

The miter or bevel gear housing 48 is carried by a bracket 50 which upstands from the chassis 16 and, as its name implies, the said housing 48 includes a pair of bevel, or miter gears 51 and 52, see FIG. 7, with said bevel gear 51 being on the inner end of the shaft 47, supra. The bevel gear 52 is secured to the inner end of a shaft 53 which is journaled in the gear box 48 and outwardly projects therefrom with said shaft exteriorly of the gear box 48 having secured thereto a pulley 54, again of the V-shape cross-section.

The pulley 54 is in alignment with a second pulley 55 on the shaft 56 which is integral with and outwardly projects from the feed screw 33. The pulleys 54 and 55 are connected with one another for motion transmission therebetween by a V-belt 57.

Up to this point it will be noted that the feed screw 33 is driven in timed relation to the speed of the vehicle or truck and that the earth or field treatment is being continuously supplied during the movement of the truck.

As was noted above this invention pertains to a marking mechanism to mark the side or sides of the strip being treated so that the next strip will be treated adjacent to and laterally of the preceding strip. This marking mechanism as will be presently described in detail, is operated in connection with and in relation to the rotation and drive of the feed screw 33.

The compressed air pump 22, previously referred to, is mounted on a portion of the truck chassis 16 and, again, as noted above, it is of a well known variety of compressing air or pushing air from itself into a tube or pipe connection 58 that extends to a compressed air tank 59. The compressed air tank in turn has extending therefrom a pipe or conduit 60 which terminates in a valve 61 and from which valve 61 a pipe or conduit 62 extends to the lower end of a marking material tank 63. The tank 63 contains dehydrated lime, or it may contain some other type of marking material, or powder, to mark or effect the treated strip edge or mark the edge of the strip being treated.

The pipe or air conduit 58 between the air compressor or pump 22 and tank 59 has therein a one way check valve 64, which permits the compressed air to be placed under pressure in the tank 59 and prevents the reverse flow of the air. The tank 59 has therein compressed air under pressure up to eighty (80) pounds per square inch and in order to maintain the desired pressure in the tank 59 it is provided with a relief valve 65 which is adjustable and, as noted above, is set to have the air in the tank at a pressure no greater than the desired pressure, or, as noted above a compressed air pressure of eighty (80) pounds per square inch.

As was noted above, extending from the compressed air tank 59 is a pipe or conduit 60 which terminates in a normally closed shut-off valve 61, designated in the trade as a quick opening and closing shut-off valve. The valve 61 is controlled, that is, opened by an electric current and is provided with an electric solenoid 68 connected to the stem of the valve, all as is well known. Extending from the other side of the shut-off valve 61 is a pipe or conduit 62 that terminates in an elongated, although in transverse cross-section, a substantially circular chamber 70 at the bottom end of the marking material tank 63.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 the circular or semi-circular chamber 70 is at the lower ends of inclined walls 71 forming, in effect, a funnel, at the lower end of the tank 63 to the said chamber 70. The ends of the said circular or semicircular chamber 70 is provided by collars 72 and 73. Extending through the collar 72 is a relatively short section of pipe or tubing 74 which, in effect, is the end of the pipe or conduit 62. Similarly, extending through the collar 73 is a pipe or tube 75 which is, in effect, the

inner end of a pipe or conduit 76. The said pipe or conduit 76 may conveniently take the form of a hose and, see FIG. 3, extends to the extreme outer end of a boom, earth treating material tube, 31 with a nozzle 77 constituting the end of the said pipe or conduit 76.

Referring again to FIG. 5, the inner end of the pipe or tube 74 and the flared end 79 of the pipe or tube 75 are spaced from one another to provide a pocket 80 substantially centrally of the circularor semi-circular chamber 70 of the tank lower end. In practice, the lime, or other marking powder, descends through the tank 63 to the inwardly inclining or extending walls 71 to be funneled to and for filling the chamber or pocket 80 between the said pipes or tubes 74 and 75.

The said collars 72 and 73 have, respectively, extending therethrongh set screws 81 and 82 which impinge on the pipes 74 and 75 to secure same in the proper position for the desired pocket or chamber 80.

In practice and referring now to FIGS. 1, 3 and 6 the valve controlled electric solenoid 68 has connected therewith a pair of electrical Wires 83 and 8.4 the latter of which, namely, wire 84 is connected with the ground as indicated by the ground symbol 85. It is understood that the wire between 83 and 84 is, in fact, the solenoid coil. This ground, 85, supra, is the chassis 16 of the truck. The second wire 83 terminates in a terminal 86 of a limit switch, or, an on and off switch, 87. Extending from the second terminal 88 of the on and 01f switch 87 is a wire 89 which at its end carries a or extends to the second or positive terminal of the normal truck battery 14.

The said wire 89, in effect, is the control wire and actually terminates at a terminal 90, see FIG. 1, of a manually operated switch 91 and the second terminal 92 of which switch 91 has connected therewith one end of a wire 93 which, supra, terminates in a positive terminal of the truck battery 14.

The switch 91 is a manually operable switch on the inclined portion of the floor of the cab or may actually be on the dashboard of said cab. The switch operating button 94 may be operated by the hand or the foot depending upon the actual position of the switch 91.

A branch electric wire 95 extends from the wire 89, see particularly FIG. 6, to one side of an electric motor 96 which has its other end connected by a wire 97 to the ground 98, or truck chassis 14.

The said motor 96 has projecting therefrom a shaft 99 on which is a circular or disc-like cam 100 including a raised portion or lobe 101 which cooperates with the roller 102 on the outer end of a pivoted arm 103 associated with the switch 87.

In operation the operator of the truck when starting to fertilize, seed, or the like, a field strip closes the manual switch 91 in the cab which effects the operation of the electric motor 96 and which motor while rotating at a relatively slow rate of speed will at definite intervals,

longitudinally of the strip being worked over, close the switch 87 and thereby at said intervals close the motor switch 88 and thereby open the valve 61 and permit a puff, or burst of compressed air to pass from compressed air tank 59 through conduct 62 to the segregating chamber 70, and cause the discharge of the marking material through the pipe 76 and thereby the nozzle 104 and thereby producing a marking spot 105.

FIG. 8 isan electrical wiring diagram including practically the same mechanism illustrated in FIG. 6 with however a slight modification in that the motor 96' has on its shaft 99 two cams 106 and 107 each of which controls a switch 108 and 109 through a depressible member operable by a projecting portion or lobe on the respective cams 106 and 107. The said motor while under control of the foot switch 91 to operate the cams 106 and 107 the said switches 108 and 109 are under control of a second switch 110, single pole double throw switch, having its arm connected with one of a wire 111 which ex- 6 tends from the positive wire 89. Said switch has one of its selective terminals 112 connected with a wire 113 that terminates in the switch 108 from which extends a wire 114 to the valve solenoid 68 and which wire 114 is similar to the wire 83, supra.

The second selective terminal of the single pole double throw switch 110 has connected thereto one end of a wire 115 that terminates in one contact of the switch 109 and which switch 109 has its other terminal connected by a wire 116 and the wire 114 for one side of the solenoid 68.

By this construction the user is permitted to utilize either of switches 108 and 109 for closing electrical circuit to the valve solenoid 68 and thereby obtain various spacings due to the various lobes on the cams 106 and 107. In other words cams 106 and 107 may either be provided with more than one lug or may be provided with lugs of different lengths for thereby holding the normally open switches 108 and 109 in a closed position depending upon whether the switch 110 is in the position illustrated in FIG. 8 or its alternate position.

Obviously the switch 110 may be mounted within the truck cab 12 or may be mounted somewhere on the rearend of the truck adjacent the motor of FIG. 3.

The wiring diagram in FIG. 9 is similar to that in FIG. 8 except that instead of an electric motor for operating rotating mechanical tcams, use is made of adjustable electrical timers 117 and 118 which are wired into the battery circuit to operate in time relation with one another and therefore at certain timed intervals Will effect the operation of the valve solenoid 68.

It is appreciated that regardless of which of the electrical mechanism herein dis-closed the interval of the marking spots will be the same so long as the truck is driven at a substantially uniform speed and which goes without saying since the field being treated must have its area universally treated otherwise different growing conditions or other field circumstances Will vary bet-ween the opposite ends of the field strip.

From the foregoing it will tbe'noted that the truck or other self-contained and self-propelled vehicle operates, in timed relation to the speed thereof, a means for feeding or supplying to the earth a treatment, for example, a fertilizer, disinfectant, and the like. Obviously, the rate of feed of these or any other elements from the truck body is in accordance with the desires and condition of the operator and soil.

The field or earth is being treated for a width equal to the length of the booms or feed tubles which, as noted above, is from 20 to 60 feet from end to end and assuming the said feed tubes or booms being or equal length would place the operator in the center of the strip or from 15 to 30 feet from either edge of the strip. Obviously, if but a single boom or feed tube were used the distance of the operator from the strip edge would be the length of the said single boom or feed tube.

The materials being spread on the earth are not particularly discernable by the naked eye after spreading for a distance of 15 to 30 feet and While setting in the cab of the self-propelled vehicle. In order to advise or apprise an operator of the edge of the strip against which the next strip of field will be treated, it is desirable, if not necessary, to mark the edge of said treated strip by means that are discernible.

The marking, as noted above, can readily take the form of powdered dehydrated lime, which is white, and can be made of such concentration that it is readily visible, discernable, to the operator while in the truck cab for a distance of thirty (30) feet and even sixty (60) feet. As diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 3, this mark -or circle of white powder is indicated by the reference character 88. The proportion of the drive mechanism is such that not only the proper amount of fertilization, disinfecting compound or the like, is placed on the earth but that the marking spots 88, formable to a diameter of approximately one and one-half (1 /2) feet, are likewise automatically made and wherefore the said marking spots are not only visible from the operators position in the cab, but will also maintain a straight line up to which the second strip of earth treatment will be placed without overlapping the first strip to any appreciable extent, or, again, without providing an appreciable untreated portion between the strips.

Furthermore, the arrangement or timed rotation of the drive mechanism or chain is such, that a marking spot 105 is placed on the soil every so many feet, it being considered that 60 feet is a good distance between spots. In other words, approximately every 60 feet along the outer edge of the strip being treated there will be a marking spot 105 and which spots will be readily discernable by the operator and at the same time will be in a straight line or otherwise as determined by the vehicle operator.

While, in the drawings use is made of feed tubes for feeding and spreading materials on the earth, it is to be understood that any other form of means or mechanism for treating the earth may be employed, such as a distributing disc frequently employed at the rear of the truck at a discharge opening into the bottom of the truck. The heretofore well-known disc distributors for the treatment of the earth rotates in a plane parallel with the earth and evenly distributes the materials across a strip of practically the same Width from one end of the field to the other.

Obviously in using this type of earth treating mechanism there would be a necessity to use a boom of a length and in substantially the same position as either of the feeding tubes, supra.

In view of the foregoing, it is believed that the objects initially set forth are accomplished.

What is claimed is:

1. In a field marker of the class described the combination of a self-propelled power movable vehicle, an electric power source on said movable vehicle for causing the operation of said movable vehicle, means on said vehicle for treating a field strip-wise in the direction of movement of the vehicle and for a considerable distance laterally of the vehicle, said treatment being continuous and in strips adjacent one another in the direction of vehicle movement, said treating material being of a color and texture as to be not readily discerna ble from the earth by the vehicle operator while on and operating the vehicle, each strip being of substantially equal width with one edge of said strip being a considerable distance from the vehicle operator, a tank of powdered marking material on the vehicle, said powdered marking material having a color distinctive from the color of the field being marked and the color of the treating material, and means for periodically depositing a portion of said powdered material on the field along said edge of the treated strip remote from the vehicle operator so as to be discernable from the vehicle and thereby mark the edge of the treated strip, including means for segregating said portion of marking material from the bulk of the material in said tank of marking material, a compressed air tank having compressed air therein carried by said vehicle, a conduit between said compressed air tank and said means for segregating said portion, and extending to a nozzle adjacent said edge, a valve normally closed in said conduit to be momentarily opened to release a burst of air from said compressed air tank to said means for segregating, at intervals, throughout the length of the strip being treated, and electrically operated means connected with the electrical source carried by and operating the vehicle for periodically opening the valve to release said burst and deposit said segregated amount of said marking material on the earth adjacent the strip being treated.

2. In a field marker of the class described as set forth in claim 1 characterized by, said electrically operated means for said valve including an electric control circuit from the said electric source carried by the vehicle, a solenoid in said electric circuit operable to open the valve, a motor in said electric control circuit, a control switch in said circuit -for momentarily energizing the solenoid valve, and means operable by said motor for momentarily closing the control switch and thereby the valve electric solenoid. for opening the said valve.

3. In a field marker of the class described as set forth in claim 1 characterized by, said electrically operated means for said valve including an electric control circuit from the said electric source carried by the vehicle, a solenoid in said electric circuit operable to open the valve, a motor in said electric control circuit, a control switch in said circuit for momentarily energizing the solenoid valve, and means operable by said motor for momentarily closing the control switch and thereby the valve electric solenoid for opening the said valve in the form of a cam operated by the motor and which cam normally permits the solenoid control switch to remain closed but momentarily opens the same.

4. In a field marker of the class described as set forth in claim 1 characterized by, said electrically operated means for said valve including an electric control cin'cuit from the said electric source carried, by the vehicle, a solenoid in said electric circuit operable to open the valve, an electric timer in said electric control circuit normally inactive for rendering the valve solenoid similarly inactive and the valve closed but operable at timed intervals for closing the electric circuit and opening the valve to permit operation of the said marking mechanism.

5. In a field marker of the class described as set forth in claim 1 characterized by, said electrically operated means for said valve including an electric control circuit from the electric source carried by the vehicle, a solenoid in said electric circuit operable to open the valve, a motor in said electrical circuit including a driven rotatable shaft carried by said motor, a pair of cams on said motor shaft each having thereon means for operating a control switch at independent and different intervals, and a control switch associated with each cam to be operated by its cam for momentarily closing the solenoid and opening its valve.

6. In a field marker of the class described as set forth in claim 1 characterized by, said electrically operated means for said valve including an electric control circuit from the electric source carried by the vehicle, a solenoid in said electric circuit operable to open the valve, a motor in said electrical circuit including a driven rotatable shaft carried by said motor, a pair of cams on said motor each having thereon means for operating a control switch at independent and different intervals, and a control switch associated with each cam to be operated by its cam for momentarily closing the solenoid and opening its valve, and a manually controlled switch for determining which of the cam switches is in the control circuit.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,252,923 1/1918 Moench 111-26 X 2,199,421 5/1940 Stevens 111-26 X 2,520,680 8/1950 Hamilton 111-26 3,261,502 7/1966 Guillermic 222-76 X 3,304,647 2/1967 Szekely 239-654 RO-BERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner H. S. LANE, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 111-26; 222-193 

